Testimonials
From Amanda
Jennifer was amazing from day one. My pregnancy was not a smooth journey, but once I got connected with Jen, it became amazing. As a first time mom with a family full of women who had never given birth, Jen was always there to answer my questions big or small, she was there for my breakdown about what breast pump to buy, and with every conversation we had, I always felt validated. My birth went a bit differently than I had expected, but turned out to be one of the most inspiring days of my life. I was induced at 39 weeks, Jen was there every step of the way. I went into birth wanting a pain-management free birth, after my water was broken by my midwife, my contractions amped up both in frequency and intensity. I ended up giving myself permission not to be set in my own head, I got an epidural, Jen made me feel safe enough in that space to change my mind. After that we had a blast through the rest of my labor and delivery experience. My experience would have never been the same without her!
From John
A dad's perspective: While I wanted to be the main support person for my wife (Michaela) during labor, I knew that even if I knew the right thing to say or do, my wife would probably not take it so well. This is where Jen comes in. Jen has a perfect attitude, and she can read the room perfectly. She can be light hearted, funny, serious, and most important of all, she is always judge-free.
At 39 weeks, the true value of Jen came through. We found out that our son was breech and Michaela needed to have a C-section (not what we had planned). My wife, being the meticulous woman that she is, did not take this news well.
When we told Jen this information, she prompted a meeting with Michaela. It allowed Michaela to voice her concerns with this change, and Jen explained every step that comes with a C-section. The day of the birth, Jen had us prepared with what was going to happen, making everything a much smoother process. Jen was with us every step of the way and was extremely helpful. She even kept reminding all of the doctors and nurses to allow her in the surgery room.
Jen stayed with us and helped when needed until we were comfortable enough for us to be on our own.There are moments in the weeks after where things feel hopeless and we were just plain exhausted. Jen believes in making sure the mother is supported after birth. She encouraged us to text her whenever and it was a great resource for us and just knowing we have that comforted me at many times.
Jen loves what she does and it shows. Throughout all of the steps we felt taken care of. She is very cautious about setting the boundaries we as the parents wanted. It is an incredible feeling to have someone by your side that you trust and is very experienced in the process that for first time parents, can be very daunting at times. I am referring Jen to anyone I can and we will definitely use her for our next child!
From Michaela
As a first time mom and a very type A person, it was important to me to be as prepared as I possibly could be for childbirth. Jennifer was instrumental in that preparation. When I found out that my baby was breech at 39 weeks and had to be delivered via c section, I was devastated and honestly thought to myself, “well, what’s the point of having a doula with a planned surgery?” I couldn’t have been more wrong. Jennifer walked me through every step of what to expect for my surgery and made me feel incredibly calm about the procedure. I am generally a pretty anxious person, and even one of the nurses in the operating room commented on how calm I was during the procedure (truly shocking to my husband John). Every time Jennifer met with my husband and I, she was calm, supportive, attentive, and a warm presence to be around. She is an excellent listener, advice giver, and always made us feel valued. I can’t imagine my birth experience without Jen and her unwavering support. I would recommend her to anyone - regardless of how prepared or unprepared they are for childbirth and regardless of the delivery style. Jen is not only an awesome doula, but a genuinely great person who any couple would benefit from working with.
From Casey and Gordon
We first met Jennifer during a childbirth class. At the time, working with a doula was not even on our radar. After the second class, on the drive home, my spouse turned to me and said, ‘I think we should see if we can get Jennifer to be our doula.’ I turned and replied, ‘I was just about to say the exact same thing.’
For reasons beyond what we can quantify or articulate, Jennifer’s participation in the birth of our child was by far the best decision we could have made. It became a critical part of our birth plan, and in hindsight it is hard to imagine not having her there.
It is overall accepted and, in some ways, expected that a doula is going to be a helpful part of your birth team. Jennifer of course shines here. What is less realized is how amazing and important Jennifer is during those small quiet hours when very little is happening: The personal and sweet chats about life and family with the father-to-be when mom is resting, the comforting and reassurance to a first-time mom who is unexpectedly enduring every possible medical procedure, the gentle reminder to take a deep breath, reclaim focus and keep moving forward.
Over the course of those hours in September, Jennifer became part of our family. She was the first person to hold our son when the situation dictated mom and dad be together -something we would not have wanted any other way. She went above and beyond before, during and long after we went home.
With the highest regards we recommend you welcome Jennifer into your growing family.
From Corrie
Jennifer is absolutely amazing! I was hesitant with hiring a doula since I had a scheduled c-section for my twins. But, doing this as a single mother by choice (SMC), with no family around, I wanted a dedicated person to be there for me (and my babies) in the delivery room. Jennifer knew where she could stand in the operating room without getting in the nurse's way, and where to take the best photos. I interviewed a few different doulas, until I met Jennifer. I chose Jennifer because she was very personable, and very supportive of my decision to do an elective c-section with my twin pregnancy.
I had a fairly uneventful pregnancy, actually quite boring, which I didn't mind. But, the last few weeks, my blood pressure went pretty crazy. I ended up going to the hospital the weekend before my scheduled c-section. Not the funnest way to spend a Saturday night, but, I called Jen, and she came to support me at the hospital.
I highly recommend hiring a doula, even if you have a scheduled c-section. For me, it added peace of mind that I had a dedicated person there for me. And, I highly recommend Jennifer.
From Jamee
Simply put, Jennifer is a wonderful human. She is warmly energetic, intuitive, articulate, knowledgeable, and thoughtful.
We initially did not plan to hire a doula until we met Jennifer. After attending a few birth classes that she instructed, we were drawn to Jennifer because of her sense of humor and evidence-based sensibility. We made something of an impulse decision and enlisted her help late in the game (just a few weeks before my due date). Nonetheless, she quickly comprehended our needs and priorities and we immediately felt ten times more confident knowing she’d be by our side.
Jennifer just seemed to know all the right things to ask and say at all the right times. I was 10 days past my due date when we went in for an induction. Jennifer was constantly in touch and appeared immediately after we texted her in the wee hours of the night after I went into labor. During labor, she was incredibly attentive and encouraging. She asked questions that we didn’t think to ask and was careful to confirm things were proceeding as we desired.
My birth experience was surprisingly calm and sweet, and I felt so empowered by Jennifer’s support. Words simply cannot express how grateful I am to have such a positive memory of my son’s birth. It’s truly one of the best gifts. Thank you, Jennifer!
From Kimmi
I took Jen's childbirth series and I LOVED it! I've been telling absolutely anyone I can about it because it completely strengthened mine and my husband's relationship before this huge change in our lives. We learned a lot about the birth and each other! We joke that our childbirth class was our "babymoon" because of how much fun we had and how nice and bonding it was to do this together! Jen puts her whole heart and soul into what she does, it completely shows! We were so lucky to have met her and to learn from her before we welcomed this sweet face into the world! He arrived by cesarean, and it was the perfect labor! We are grateful to have been prepared!